*Look into the mirror of your mind*
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
If you do not integrate the individual uniqueness of different schools into one single stream of spontaneous cognition, you will not understand that all teachings are of one flavour. Guru Rinpoche.

We at Zangthal Editions are pleased to announce a book release event on December 14th, 2016, 6:00 PM EST, which will be streamed live on Facebook for the benefit of those of you who reside far away from Vermont (most of you.)

Malcolm,

What was the name of that group of people from the 1980's that you said behaved so strangely, 54 minutes into the video?

"All the suffering of the lower realms, whatever difficulty and unhappiness we may experience as human beings, as well as every other possible suffering of the three realms of existence, have their origin in cherishing ourselves more than others."

We at Zangthal Editions are pleased to announce a book release event on December 14th, 2016, 6:00 PM EST, which will be streamed live on Facebook for the benefit of those of you who reside far away from Vermont (most of you.)

Malcolm,

What was the name of that group of people from the 1980's that you said behaved so strangely, 54 minutes into the video?

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

Josef wrote:I can't believe we even have to talk about pirating dharma books.
Just buy a copy, its worth it.

That said, there appears to be a difference between doing translations as a Dharma activity with the motivation to make appropriate teachings as available as possible, and on the other hand, doing translations with the motivation of only selling the translations to those who can afford them. Perhaps motivation matters, and affects both the translator, the translation and the reader. So from this point of view, perhaps one should be careful not just from whom one takes teachings, but also as to which translations one reads.

I certainly think that no one should ever take what is not offered freely.

For those who have spare money it is easy to buy everything. For those whose money goes to pay for food, shelter and medicine, it would be nice if Dharma was free.

In 100 years all translations are free. So maybe, for some, they just have to wait a little and come back next life.

oldbob wrote:
That said, there appears to be a difference between doing translations as a Dharma activity with the motivation to make appropriate teachings as available as possible, and on the other hand, doing translations with the motivation of only selling the translations to those who can afford them.

If people want to wait 75 years for the copyright to expire, well....then they can upload Buddhahood as much as they like. In the meantime, it is in the interest of the continued production of good translations from Wisdom, Snow Lion/Shambhala, etc., that one should pay for the Dharma books that one wishes to own.

There is an additional benefit to the production of translations by professional Buddhist publishers — these books enter the Library of Congress. One cannot hope to see most independently published books there. They have strict rules about what books they accept and how to submit them.

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

oldbob wrote:
In 100 years all translations are free. So maybe, for some, they just have to wait a little and come back next life.

I believe current copyright is 70 years after the life of the author (which is why copyrights held by major corporations are questionable), ...so who knows, it might be more than 100 years.

If anyone really can't get together $20, they should request that their library buy a copy.
If they really can't afford $20 and their library won't buy a copy, they should inquire with their librarian about inter-library loan, or a related service like Link+ (not currently available on Link+, hopefully soon).

oldbob wrote:
In 100 years all translations are free. So maybe, for some, they just have to wait a little and come back next life.

I believe current copyright is 70 years after the life of the author (which is why copyrights held by major corporations are questionable), ...so who knows, it might be more than 100 years.

If anyone really can't get together $20, they should request that their library buy a copy.
If they really can't afford $20 and their library won't buy a copy, they should inquire with their librarian about inter-library loan, or a related service like Link+ (not currently available on Link+, hopefully soon).

Or they should ask if somebody can buy it for them.

"My religion is not deceiving myself."Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde

But this doesn't address the issue of whether a Mahayana / Vajrayana / Dzogchen, publisher / translator has the Dharma responsibility to provide for the poor.

My sense is that they do.

So it is suggested that there might be a two tier system of publishing.

1. A very high production value / high cost way of publishing that funds the translator's expenses, supports the large Buddhist publishing houses and supplies archival copies to the Library of Congress.

2. A no-frills, low production value / low cost way of publishing that can make Mahayana / Vajrayana / Dzogchen material available to the poor or disadvantaged, at low or no cost.

Well yes, but the people who do not have computers or internet connections will not be downloading illegal .pdf files either!
Wether people know about the library of congress or not I think most people, in the USA at least, know about libraries. I work with many people at the library who legitimately could not afford a $20 book, but we can get them books.

But this doesn't address the issue of whether a Mahayana / Vajrayana / Dzogchen, publisher / translator has the Dharma responsibility to provide for the poor.

My sense is that they do.

So it is suggested that there might be a two tier system of publishing.

1. A very high production value / high cost way of publishing that funds the translator's expenses, supports the large Buddhist publishing houses and supplies archival copies to the Library of Congress.

2. A no-frills, low production value / low cost way of publishing that can make Mahayana / Vajrayana / Dzogchen material available to the poor or disadvantaged, at low or no cost.

Lotsawa House

Kye ma!
The river of continuity is marked by impermanence.
Ceaseless flowing of appearance.
Beautiful and repulsive.
The dance of life and death is a display of the vast expanse.
With gratitude the watcher and the watched pass through the barrier of duality.